The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-11-01
CAN THE INDIAN ne CIVILIZED
A Humane Discussion Vt u very Intosestlns
.s.Is. as, MA nnestton ID 81 I'd. :

A Humane Dhoass'on Vt II VERY Interesting
g1e. FN1. Question. ~
Some oil Our townsmen, in thoir westcru
travels, may have CHANGED 10 see few
Indians 40 dull and british, 90 destitute
OF all energy and ambition, as to nut a
dampef on any hopo they might have
cherinhed for tho civilization Of tho race.
Such stray Indiana arc not usually OF the
beat clGss. They arc often outlaws, living
on the outekirts Of civilization, exIled from
their own people AID practising, like tho
xhits outlaIg who form 40 largo o part
OF frontier population, many OF the yices
and few oil tho virtues Of civilized men.
Again, We must not make the miataks
Of expecting too rapid progress from this
race, which, until the last twenty odd
years, We, as q nation, never thought OF
teaching or civilizing. When we consider
the condition OF our Anglo.Ssxon Gnces.
tors (ot whom we Hro go ap. to speak with
pridol nearly two thousand years ago 10
the German foreste, and recollecs how
slow wac the ciy!lix!ng prccesa In their
case, wu ought to posaess the grace OF
patience with other Eeathen. hlr. ], W.
Dav!s, Of Boston, who in company with
Pfof. PainseE, agent of the National In
dian Rights Association, vietted Indian
reservations IN California, Nevada aud
Idaho, said at the Like Mohonk confer.
ence Ia yearly gathering Of Influential
friendu Of HE Indians): .'By iheeo visits
to The ludians In their humse, ind by
direct contact with them, We ere sayed
from that fansuiuo feeling come would
elanly indulee 10 TO the rapidly Of results
In efforts to civilize them. But We have
no right to expo ct that the indiana should
Instantly sdopt new ldeas and habi.e, and
ereep Immediately tho help extended TO
them. when, as nation, We are at the
same timn placing noet grievous hind.
RANGES and encouragement in their wey,"
And yet, rapid Progress has often re-.
Esrdad the teacher Of the Indian. About
1916 missionary work was begun among
Tho Indians Of South Carolina ald Gsor-
gin, the Cherokee, Ohocta rs and Chicka-
SAWS. The progress OF these Indians was
Tonderinl. ''Nsysr have seen people
so hungry ior the bread OF l!!e,n ssye one
Of their teachers. In fifteen wears there
we're eight churches in Georgia, o Cher
okee alphabet and written language. Hall
rho CheIoSeeu were Gbls 10 read. Tho
srta OF civlEzsd life were rapidly sp,osd.
ing. There we're schools, courts, and a
legislature, Nth stringent lGys ssainot
intemEeraGea. At this time three.iourthR
Il all tho church members In the mis-
sions Of the American Board wsro among
che lEdiaus.' Az
Then came one c: the trageiiea Of our
century Of dishonor.'i Tho ianes Of these
civilized Christian Indiane, which had
boer 'eecu,ed' 10 tham in psrpetuisy BY
treaty Of the United s.atee, were taken
i.om them, and cold by lottery by tbe
State Of Georgia, and lS031 Iadianc, uiter
struggling In vain for yeGro to obtain their
rights, started on their loas years. ionr-
ney for thel, new home in tbs present
Indian Territory, msrk!p; thsis Nav by
he grayes OF mots than 1000 Inaians.
Did ouch en- outrage cEuss them to re-
bel agsinat the Chr!atisni.y and civilizs.
lou which had ortcneiblv committed 1t?
Visit tho Indian Territory to-day, snd gee
them, dressed 81 whites, Lying in their
lG.00Ohousss, rpporting their 200 schools,
GTclve Of them boarding echoo.s. with
lrer 1900 children attending ti,ela, End
asyinR l3l churches. They have q writ
ION constitution, government with execu.
tive, legislative end judicial functions,
and conduct their eiaiis in general after
tho nanner Of civilized men. They sup
port, by regular nstionsl appropriations,
IN orphsn asylum, AMI ons Tor blind, in.
anne, inGfn, and generally uniortnnste
peleons. ~ w.. 1J'.2 " y,
For more recent examples of progress
among tho Indians, and progress directly
'os!srad (let Us FAY it thankfully by our
government, take tho Indian students ct
government Echoois, notably Hampton
snd Cs}liele. Many poIaons may have
been led TO believe the. theee etudentn re-
!spsed into barbarian on returning to
their tribes. On this point we oiier tho
,sslimony Of General s. O. Armstrong, OF
the Hampton sehoal=-s ,oau who issivirg
10 the EDUCATION and elevation OF the nc.
yyoeB and Indians great talent, and energy
'hat hiss nesrly cost hiu his lilo. In q
letter to the Mohawk Conference be says
''Ihe record OF 1ntisna who have gone
home from The Hampton school has boon
matter Of constant attention, and the in,
formation We have received Is, on the
shole, encouraging. 1t is hard for ths re-.
'nrned girls and boys TO hold their own
but two.thiids Of them do we'll not over
One.tenth turn out badly. Many are
tickle snd unsteady, but the upshot Of it
III is that the good work for Iudians is
like the good work for other people, 1t
psys, and the average OF loss and waats Is
no larger than in other Ike work."
At The Same Conference Mica Elaine
Goodale, the gifted young pcetees, who
has conseczated her talents to tenching the
lndens both OF Hampton and in the
West, said oil returned students, "They
bava done exceedingly we'll, though the
conditiouo were very hsrd"-there being
almost no employ mens to DO had on the
reservations except from tho Government.
Niles Ludlow, Of Hampton, fpoke to the
same effect. sS', l5t 8,
Miss AIice Robertson, born and living
in the Indian Territory, whose father was
= miaeionsly among the Indians all his
life, said: My slater and ] arc in tie
work, and ! pity all OF you who have not
the eloly-1 mean the happiness-oi real.
ly living among them and seeing them
grow UP. 'S The Indian takes on all
the ,eiinemeu!s OF intelligence. They are
just like us, only little prouder. They
are litllo more susceptible and capable